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Warnings:
Kidnapping
Death/Murder
Stabbing/Knives
Taking organs/cannibalism
Taking off fingers and hands
Sidenote: I had writer's block this week so if it's slightly half-assed and unedited blame that
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"Of course you pick the windiest day so far this week to go out." Will grumbled from under his breath, shooting his lover an annoyed glare.
Hannibal gave a quiet chuckle, rumbling in his chest as the other's anger increased with the sound. Will's coat was tucked tightly around him, collar turned up and framing a thick scarf. One hand was stuffed into a pocket whilst the other reluctantly clutched Hannibal's.
"If you wish to enjoy the dinner I have planned tonight, we have to get the last few ingredients." The older man returned softly, feeling Will give his hand an angry squeeze.
"Why bring me along?"
"I enjoy your company. And I promised we'd spend today together." Hannibal answered sweetly, running his hand over the other's knuckles. The material of his leather gloves brushed against Will's woolen ones.
"When I imagined spending a day together, I imagined not leaving bed and having fun there." His husband retorted, his voice somewhat muffled from behind the scarf.
"We will have our fun. Dinner shall come first, and for dinner I need grapes, along with some other fruits for later use." Hannibal gave a nod, lightly ushering Will to the side to avoid another walking couple.
The sidewalks of Dinan, France weren't exactly busy. It was a rural town with cobblestone streets and a rustic feel. Hannibal couldn't help to admire the area as it were.
Will was framed by trees dotted with deepened scarlets, blazing oranges, and striking yellows. It was a truly beautiful sight and would reserve a space within the rooms of his head. The man's woodsy smell blended with the sharp breeze of autumn, along with the nauseating smell of cheap aftershave.
He would feel Will stiffen as another gust of wind blew past them, his curls whipping around his face. They were long, reaching past his ears and down the base of his neck. Unlike his time in prison, they were well kept, looking and feeling soft to the touch.
"I hate you. It's way too windy for this, I'm gonna get blown away." Will persisted, a subtle pout to his wind chapped lips. He looked like a begging child who had just been told 'no'.
"I love you too. You won't be blowing away anytime soon, my hand is in yours keeping you grounded." Hannibal reassured, his amusement sparking up again. He adored this side of Will. Rather, he adored every side of Will.
Will gave a mumbling of a curse, receiving a pointed and disapproving stare as they tucked into the stalls of the open market. Other customers were already browsing the produce, few and far between. It wasn't crowded and it seemed to be freshly stocked.
Hannibal picked up a basket from the stack, stepping down the rows of product for his desired fruit. Will followed next to him, the anger within him dying down now that they had arrived. The two stepped around, finding the needed grapes and picking out a few others to refill their fruit bowl at home.
Will nudged through apples, plucking up a few to inspect them before setting them in his lover's basket. His fingers wrapped around a lush red one, thumb running over the waxy skin to feel for any soft parts. That's when a whine sounded through the market, a desperate and painful sound that caused even Hannibal's heart to twinge.
Will froze in his place, face falling into a blank line. His fingers clutched at the apple, threatening to crush it in his grip. Shouting followed, a thick and angry curse that reprimanded the dog.
Hannibal hadn't seen the man's bloodlust come so quickly before. Even with the dragon, it had been a slow build to the defining moment. Now, it flooded clear into his stormy blue eyes, accompanying pure rage. He watched as Will turned, raising his arm with the apple still clasped in his hand.
Just before his husband could throw the apple at the owner, he grabbed his wrist and carefully forced it back down. Will's fury was now directed at him, a shout placing itself just on his tongue. Hannibal eased the apple from his hand and placed it in his basket.
"Go tend to the canine. I will talk with the owner." Hannibal spoke quietly. The words immediately registered within the latter's mind and his gaze softened.
He watched Will jog off toward the cowering animal. Lifting a hand, he calmly beckoned the owner over. The man's demeanor seemed to immediately shift, the aggression toward the animal melting away and being replaced by an attentive smile.
"I'm afraid I can't find the yellow peppers. Do you carry them?" Hannibal questioned in careful French. From the corner of his eye, he could see Will knelt down with a hand carefully out to the dog.
The owner gave his mumbles of confirmation and led him over toward the now dwindling stock. Hannibal followed after, humming out his words of appreciation.
"Bit of a maze here, hard to find certain things." The owner brushed it off, giving Hannibal a broadened smile. He had an ego, one that he knew Will would crush the moment he was set loose on the man.
"Must have slipped past my gaze." Hannibal gave a nod.
"I haven't seen you around before, and I know most of the locals. You new?" The man questioned, continuing the conversation even as Hannibal turned to examine the peppers.
"My husband and I moved into the outskirts of town 6 months ago." He explained, picking up the yellow piece and placing it with the others. Turning, he offered out his hand in a polite introduction. "Harrison Lancaster."
"Ansel Windsor. Nice to finally meet you." The owner introduced, shaking his hand. Hannibal gave a smile, knowing the more information he squeezed from the man the easier it would be to track him down.
"I must compliment the state of the produce. I'm sure it's hard to find ripened fruits and vegetables this time of year." Hannibal complimented, forcing down the annoyance that pricked within his head. Ansel seemed to beam at the words.
"I work hard on my produce. Want to make sure it's presentable to customers. Apologize for the shouting earlier, mangy mutt was trying to get a hold of some food." The owner nodded, the words clearly going to his head. Hannibal himself hated forms of animal cruelty and abuse, and was throughly tempted to hurt the man as well.
"Commendable. I think that's all I'll be needing, allow me to pay." He forced a smile, snatching up one of the business cards stationed in front of the cash register. Paying quickly, he allowed Ansel to bag his groceries before making his way over to his husband.
Will was knelt by the dog, running a hand over her dirty fur. His gloves had been discarded into his pocket and he was searching her for injuries. The dog was medium sized, short black, white, and reddish fur spotted with dirt and grim. Bones shown through her skin and she seemed dehydrated.
"We're taking her home. She needs food, water, a bath, a place to rest." Will spoke up, holding his arms out to the stray. She was hesitant, crawling up into his lap and giving a whine of confusion when she was picked up. He soothed her with a gentle rub to her head.
~~~
Hannibal stopped in the doorway, adjusting the towels tucked around his forearm. Will gestured next to the tub with his foot, his hands busy in the dog crouched in the tub. His hands moved over her soapy fur, scrubbing away the filth. Setting down the towels next to the tub, Hannibal stopped to admire the new pet.
"She seems like an appenzeller. Maybe a little beagle." Will spoke up. His curls were pulled back into a bun; the sight affected Hannibal more than he'd like to admit.
"Interesting. Have you decided on a name?" He returned to his place at the doorway, avoiding a spray of water and soap as the dog shook. The chuckle from his husband caused a smile of his own to stretch onto his features.
"We should call her Encephalitis." Will suggested, mouth turning up in a playfully grin as he turned on the showerhead. "Cephi for short"
"Is Encephalitis really necessary?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow, his slight annoyance being overtaken by humor.
"Yes, yes it is! It's confirmed. I'm not fighting you on this. It's better than some exotic French name you'd come up with." Will shot back with a laugh, running the handheld showerhead over the dog's back to clean away the soap. The animal gave a loud bark that echoed off the tiles of the bathroom. "See!? Even she likes it."
"Cephi it is then." Hannibal shook his head, fighting the smile that pulled onto his face.
~~~
Ansel's eyes slowly fluttered open. Pain flared in his head and he suspected blood was swelling from the cut on his temple. He felt sluggish, disoriented, and panicked. Giving an attempt to stand, he realized he was bound to one of his kitchen chairs. The room was dark, only a few shreds of moonlight fluttering in the room with the curtains.
More panic coursed through his system as a silhouette came into view. Average height, downed in all black with a blade shining in his hand. When the man stepped into the moonlight Ansel could make out unruly curls and scruffy facial hair, cold blue eyes drilling into him with a terrifying malice. He opened his mouth to scream.Before he could utter a sound the man was behind him, pressing the tip of the blade to his throat.
"Make a sound and I'll cut out your vocal chords." The man whispered into his ear with sloppy French. A quiet whimper came out instead of a scream and the blade lightly broke his skin.
"I'm going to put you through hell. Complete torture. And then I'll have my wonderful husband turn your intestines into sausages and feed them to that dog you thought it was a good idea to hit." The captor's hand gripped onto Ansel's shoulder. The knife was brought up to nose, a slow cut being made from the place between his eyebrows to the tip.
He could feel the man shift behind him and Ansel turned his head, attempting to follow the man's motions. Within a blink the blade was brought down onto his restrained hand, sliding through the skin on the back smoothly. The victim hissed out in pain through his teeth, attempting to follow the man's order to stay quiet.
His captor knelt in front of him as the knife was withdrawn, blood shining on the blade. Ansel choked out a sob, more blood beginning to spill from the open wound. Tears fell down his cheeks as the man slowly licked the blood from the blade.
"You even taste like scum." The other muttered out, throwing a dissatisfied look at the red liquid. "Shouldn't be a surprise. Y'know I used to dream about killing people like you, hated the only justice they got was maybe a few years in prison. Now, I can give you what you truly deserve."
The blade was brought down on the other hand and his captor stepped away, seemingly to grab something out. Ansel gave a groan, trying to smother the sound as he cried. He watched as his captor reached out into the shadows, being handed another blade. Someone else was here and aiding in his torture.
"First, I'll do the fingers. Then maybe the hand. Take off what you used to hurt our Cephi." He shook his head and made his way back to the man on the chair. "Perhaps I'll take your tongue since you shouted at her. Maybe I can cut you in half and have you stationed to sniff your own ass."
More tears poured down his cheeks as the man's spoke. He was terrified, trembling in the chair while the man spouted off his foreseeable torture with chuckles. His hand was lifted, a blade pressing itself against the base of his forefinger and his sobs caught in his throat with another spike of panic.
"A beautiful attempt to finally make ourselves known within the town." The second man from the shadows spoke as the blade pressed into his skin. A chill ran down Ansel's spine when he recognized the voice. It wasn't one he'd know for long but it was a thick and foreign accent he'd place anywhere. The customer at his stall.
"H-H-Harrison... Harrison Lancaster?" He stuttered out, despite his order to stay silent. The finger was cut off with his words brutally and he received a glare as he cried out in pain.
"I would stay quiet if I were you, Mr. Windsor. My mongoose doesn't appreciate when his victims make intelligible noise, especially someone as low as you." The voice came up again. The man holding onto his hand moved to his middle finger, carefully carving through skin and bone as blood coated both of their appendages.
"P-please stop! Don't do this! Why are you doing this!?" Ansel cried out, ignoring the advice and staring up at the man mutilating him with begging eyes. His middle finger was disconnected and fell into his lap. The knife holding one of his hands down was pulled out and came at his cheek.
The blade slid through his cheek, reminiscent of the scar on his attacker's cheek. The knife hung there, placed within the side of his face to prevent him from articulating. If he tried, his tongue was at risk of getting cut and even the thought of moving his jaw made it throb.
"Much better. Begging and asking for why is always so... boring and typical. You were a shitty human being and karma comes in many forms." Will shook his head and tsked, returning to his task on the man's hand.
Ansel's fingers on both hands were taken, then his hands and tongue. Each time he threatened to pass out from blood loss he was slapped awake. The man from the shadows, the man he knew as Harrison, came forward and did his work, cutting open his torso and harvesting. The one to deliver the final killing blow was the original torturer, slamming the knife into his forehead with a final cut to nothingness.
~~~
Will slowly lifted his hand, running his fingers through the short fur. Cephi was curled comfortable at his side, giving gentle huffs to show her contentment. He was laid on his side, allowing his recently washed hair to dampen the pillow. The dog had leapt up next to him, spinning around before flopping next to his stomach.
His eyes flickered open at the feeling of the sheets moving. Hannibal was sliding into place next to him, looking at the animal with a raise of his eyebrow. Encephalitis laid between them, lounging comfortably and enjoying the warmth. Slowly lifting a hand above the covers, Hannibal began to gently rub her head as well.
Will pulled himself closer to his husband, tucking the canine in between them. A smile settled on his face, a gentle and tranquil gesture Hannibal hadn't seen until after the fall. Moving his head over, he pressed his forehead against his husband's. The wetness of his curls was cold against Hannibal, but the other made no action of discomfort or rejection.
"How long do you think it'll take people to find him?" Will spoke, lightly scratching the dog's back. Her tail began to thump against the sheets happily. They had left Ansel in his home, just as he suggested sniffing his own behind. A wire had been tied around his neck to symbolize a leash, the hollow inside without his intestines being filled with his fingers, hands, and tongue.
"I imagine a neighbor will become suspicious when he doesn't leave his house for an extended period. A week or so is my thought." Hannibal responded, running his fingers along the base of her neck. She seemed to be in canine heaven, being presented with food, water, a bath, a bed, and more love than she would ever hope for.
"You've had your names before. I wonder what they'll call me." Will lifted his eyes from the animal to look at Hannibal, an eyebrow raising.
"Something dog-like if you continue with a theme." Hannibal nodded, hand pulling from the dog to run through his husband's wet curls.
"I imagine I will. I understand the appeal... ridding the world of scum. Coming down from that adrenaline high is killing me." He gave a quiet chuckle, eyes fluttering shut with a slow sigh.
"The performance was beautiful. Wonderful presentation as well. He'll make some wonderful sausages Cephi will enjoy." Hannibal gave a nod, tilting himself forward to brush their lips together. Will rolled his eyes, nudging the dog out of the way and rolling carefully over to his husband.
He pressed their lips together, a kiss filled with love and growing ferver. Hannibal kissed back, sliding his hands over the thin t-shirt covering the other's torso. Encephalitis crawled over to the foot of the bed, returning to her curled position as Will pressed Hannibal down into the mattress.
"That performance got you a little hot and bothered. I could see it when you handed me that knife." Will whispered against the other's lips, a grin from both following.
The night's activities were far from done, Cephi eventually jumping off the bed when their movements became too frantic for her liking. She curled up in Will's pile of laundry, the sounds and smells of sex filling the bedroom as the two enjoyed each other. Hannibal was more than happy with the path he was on, seeing Will finally tap into his potential and pull him flush against his body sent admiration soaring through his body. He was somewhat wary about how many more dogs Will would take in, but if each hunt ended in such a beautiful way he could settle living with a pack of 7 or so animals.