WHO ARE YOU REALLY: A Hannibal Fanfiction

Some of Our Stars are the Same

He stares at her for a moment, watching her pierce the sugar with her eating utensil.

"You sprain your wrist and bruised your knuckles. You can deliever quite the punch, however." Hannibal commented as he compressed her wrist and knuckles between a tourniquet.
"Since I was attacked I started kickboxing. I don't know if it really helped all that much, but it helps you think faster." humbly elucidated the florist "I really never have been in many confrontations before, so I didn't really know what to do all that well."

If he were in her position there would be pride in his words. But she had none, she had no confidence in her words whenever it came to her to speak of herself "You're being much to modest." he said "Your form could use some work. If you'd like me to, I could show you how to perfect it."

'To my defense, I was pinned to the ground, being strangled.' snippish thoughts replied in her head, despite how she felt about the offer.
Enthused her lips split into an open lipped grin "I'd like that a lot, if you would." she laughed "But I should tell you now, I'm the equivalent to Maxwell Smart in clumsiness if you want to entangle yourself in that?"

Hannibal smiled at the reference and replied "Then, I will be Agent 99."
Setting down her spoon, India reached for a napkin from the center of the counter to wipe her face. Then a minute passed by, careful hands wrapped up her limb "How does it feel?" he asked her.

"I'm- what? Sorry?" it was clear she had almost dozed off. "I'm sorry, my hand?"

Hannibal eyed her.

"It's much better actually. Feels a little ripe, but there's not much to be done about that, is there?" He blinked and released his light grip on her wrist. She pulled it back and let it rest on her lap.

Uneasy from his focused gaze she looked him in the eye and felt her face grow pink. To save herself from embarrassment she tittered "Is this going to be a staring contest?" a crooked smile and a mid-western accent cooed at the Lithuanian and he gave a quiet smile, "Is that it?" India said now finding herself laughing a more so genuine one now.

Hannibal's unblinking eyes subtly challenging before India decided to just close her mouth and stare.

The coldness of the room raised goosebumps across her arms, the seat in which she sat offered to back so her posture was curved forward almost invading Hannibal's space.
Drying corneas and pin sized pupils did not stop him from winning against the "Staring Contest" amatuer.

A defeated blink followed by a bashful huff "You know, my teacher told me where I didn't excell in math, I did in staring off into space." she confessed mirthfully.

Hannibal laughed finally at this "Where did you go when you stared off into space?"
"My own world. Where I could be someone I couldn't. Like maybe someone good at math." India shrugged half-jokingly "I was never a numbers person."

"You can get ideas from daydreaming. Ideas you orchestrate from boredom. Most people cannot fathom the thought of that- or know how to do so." Hannibal informs empathetically "You don't have to think like the majority does. You can have imagination that they will never understand, but it comes at the cost of taking your time whenever it pleases."

"It sabotaged me in college, I'll admit. But I received help when it got that bad." she mused. Hannibal paused, he wondered what would happen if she were to become entirely consumed by her imagination. What would she drag out of her mind?

"So you daydream less then?"
"I don't." she blinked " I mean- I do. Daydream a lot. But lately no not as much, it's whenever I'm under fire."

'When she disassociated not too long ago. She must have entered a world where she could escape such an unbearable level of stress. ' Hannibal nodded competently.

"It's an excellent defense mechanism... As long as you come back from these places."
India agreed to the doctor's words "And I do. I have up to this point."

"Do you daydream, Hannibal?" the girl asked.
"I do. In fact it's something I consider to be a guilty pleasure of mine." Hannibal admits. "From the ashes of my past I formed an alternate reality that I could escape to when I am lost."

He understood. And if was nice for once to be empathized with so easily. India had fallen in love with his mind easily. She halted her train of thought, loved, what a foreign word to roll off the brink of her limbic system and into her mind.

"Your mind is a map to your peace of mind." she states the intentional play on words casually "And it is also your destination. Although it is in a way the creator of your problems?"

"That would be correct." he said.
"Are we alike, then, Hannibal?" she sprung upon him inquisitively.
"Actually, in some aspects yes. We are very alike. Why?"

"I don't know, I was just thinking about it." India made a face of nonchalance "I hope that it didn't come off odd..?"
Hannibal just barely shrugged as he leaned back in his seat "Not at all."

Her eyes drifted around the room, looking for the clock.
10:45, she had to go.
"Walk me to my car?" India asked.