Hannibal

[alcuin]

After Aaron left, Alcuin sat for a long time with his face in his hands, just letting himself feel the guilt.

It certainly wasn't helping that he was feeling conflicted about... all of this, recently. Even Hannibal. And that was a very strange feeling for him.

Comments

[anamusebouche]

They told him someone had come up to Alcuin's room. But Alcuinhad no clirnts scheduled. And Hannibal needed him at reception, evesdropping. So he went up to Alcuin's room, but found thd young man alone, with his face in his hands.

"What happened?" He asked, suddenly concerned instead of annoyed

[alcuin]

"Aaron was here," Alcuin mumbled, then forced himself to look up. "I told him the truth."

[anamusebouche]

Hannibal joined him on the bed. "What truth?" He asked, calmly, folding his hand in his lap.

[alcuin]

"That I'm not a freelance writer living in soho," Alcuin said. "And instead I'm..." He gestured vaguely around him. "And with that comes the truth that I was using him."

[anamusebouche]

"And how did he take that?" Hannibal asked. Concerned, of course, that the Church was aware of this establishment.

[alcuin]

"Hurt. Angry. Very angry. Justifiably so." Alcuin sighed. And also knew full well what Hannibal's worries would be. "But at the same time, I feel confident he will not take it out on this place."

[anamusebouche]

"How can you be sure?" Hannibal asked. "He's a hunter."

[alcuin]

“Because I think he’s a good man,” Alcuin said. Though even as he said it, he knew he couldn’t project certainty.

[anamusebouche]

"He came here, though? How did he know to come here?" Hannibal asked.

[alcuin]

“Because the church already knows about it, Hannibal,” Alcuin sighed. “This is lucky you know. He can tell them he found nothing. Otherwise they’d just send someone else.”

[anamusebouche]

"You upset him, yet trust him to have our best intentions at heart?" Hannibal said. "You can't trust him. What's his address?"

[alcuin]

Alcuin narrowed his eyes. “Think for two seconds, Hannibal. If he shows up dead where do you think the church will look to first?

[anamusebouche]

"It's a dangerous profession. If he turns up dead, I expect they won't bother to investigate the who or why. And if he told them nothing, they'll be none the wiser about this place."

[alcuin]

“Hannibal,” Alcuin said, his mouth in a straight line, “no.”

[anamusebouche]

Hannibal eyed him. "Because you've developed a soft spot for him?"

[alcuin]

“Because he doesn’t deserve to die just because he had the misfortune to believe my lies,” Alcuin said irritably.

[anamusebouche]

"Alcuin, my loyalty is to this brothel and to keep everyone who works here safe. Your priest is a problem. It's touching that you trust him, but the Church is not to be. And if his loyalties are with the Church then there is a problem. Do you have a better suggestion as to how to fix this issue?" Hannibal offered - though he still planned on just killing him.

[alcuin]

“Yes, let me handle it,” Alcuin said. “Me. Unless of course you don’t trust me. It’s not like I’ve done literally everything you say, and done it perfectly. If I manipulated him this well don’t you think I can fucking so it again?”

[anamusebouche]

Hannibal eyed him as if to say language, but didn't.

"Very well. But at the first sign of trouble, he's dead."

He really had been wanting to kill Aaron. He didn't much appreciate the fondness Alcuin was showing him. But... he would give Alcuin this much.

[alcuin]

There was a flicker of surprise across Alcuin's face, but he immediately schooled it away.

"Thank you."

He almost added something like, and I don't want to do something like this again. But in the end, what he'd done to Aaron, he knew it was more him than Hannibal. And he'd been proud of it, too.

[anamusebouche]

Hannibal nodded, feeling calmer now. "Everyone here relies on their safety. I will try to find out how the Church heard of us, but I will do so discretely. That should give you time."

[alcuin]

If Alcuin could convince Aaron not to hate him. He wouldn't say so, but he felt much less confident in this than in seducing him.

"I suppose I did too good of a job on this one."

[anamusebouche]

"You did very well," Hannibal praised. "The mistake is that you believed your own lies." He smiled and touched Alcuin's cheek. "It happens. I was young once too. I don't fault you for it."

[alcuin]

Alcuin didn't think that was exactly an accurate way to characterize this situation, but he didn't want to argue about it.

He was relieved, though, that Hannibal wasn't angry with him.

"I should just go back to using my body, and leave my heart out of it," he mumbled.

[anamusebouche]

Hannibal nodded. "And your brain, my love. Don't sell yourself short."

[alcuin]

Alcuin nodded, and fidgeted a bit with his hands.

"I didn't tell him that I can read his thoughts," he said. "So that will be helpful when I talk to him again."

Even if the idea of doing so made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

[anamusebouche]

"Good, very good," Hannibal praised again. Alcuin looked uncomfortable, but Hannibal ignored that. He would have to fix this if he didn't want Hannibal to kill Aaron. "Probably good that you don't tell him. Choose your honesty. If he is to trust you again, he has to believe you're honest."

[alcuin]

"Well, manipulating men is what I do best," Alcuin sighed.

[anamusebouche]

Hannibal leaned over and kissed his forehead. "You'll feel better tomorrow, my love, I promise."

[alcuin]

Alcuin closed his eyes. "Are you busy? Maybe you could just... hold me, for a while?"

[anamusebouche]

"Of course," Hannibal replied, benevolently. "Come here, my love."

[alcuin]

Alcuin moved closer to him and folded himself into Hannibal's arms, partially on his lap. Then he lifted his head and kissed him.

Remember, someone loves you.

[anamusebouche]

Hannibal kissed him back and held him as requested. He hugged him, even, holding him tightly for a moment. "I love you."