Chapter Text
They walk down an alley-like walkway made of trees. It’s autumn by the looks of things, with leaves painted orange and yellow falling from the sky. Every step any of them take is punctuated by a crunch.
The trio head to the park down the chipped road. It’s a ways away, but it’s always worth it. There’s grass and massive tree roots clawing out of the sidewalk. Bedelia and Hannibal hold their five year old’s hands—one each. Every time there’s a bump, they lift the child up.
“Wee!” Bedelia says without fail every time the child in the red rain boots flies a little. The little boy giggles, gladly entertained by such a domestic moment of tranquility.
“We are almost there,” Hannibal tells his look-alike son. The child has his mother’s eyes, though.
Bedelia hums in response, and before she can finish such a small act, the child reacts to the view. He yells out and lets go of both his parents’ hands. He needs them to grab out like a zombie’s to his next destination.
The park with the big red slide was his favorite. Red was his favorite color, after all. When the two parents learned of this fact a few months prior, they were surprisingly unsurprised at the child’s opinion.
Cute kid, a lady walking her dog thinks. A mom with her son and another boy around his age walk by. Those boys were about eight or nine, but Bedelia and Hannibal’s child is only a small five year old.
Four more parents, three women and one man, are at the park with five more kids. Though the surrounding area is mostly unpopulated, it’s the only park within a hundred kilometers. Luckily the Lecter family lived the closest to the park, but they still had to walk for at least twenty minutes to get to it. Sometimes forty if the little one got tired. During those treads back, Hannibal would end up carrying the child. Sometimes on his back, sometimes sitting on his shoulders, and sometimes the child would just be passed out drooling on his shoulder.
The child runs to the playground and the adults walk to a nearby bench.
“He’s getting so big every day,” Bedelia says like she has heart eyes. Never has her life been so warm before. Hannibal hums in agreement and can’t deny his biological response to his offspring.
“Yes, Leo is growing by the minute,” Hannibal replies after they hear their son laugh with another child, “he’s very much a social being, too. I wonder where he gets that from.”
“No clue,” Bedelia responds. In a way Hannibal and her were meant for each other, they are both so secluded and cold but curious and passionate. Leonardo gave and continues to give them a reason to participate in life’s finer things. Not art, nor literature or creativity on paper could replicate the creation of a life.
Though they keep him secluded, their young son thrives on social interaction. This means that Bedelia and Hannibal have to interact as well, because little Leo makes friends quickly. In fact, they spot a couple heading over their way.
“Giulia’s parents at 2 o’clock,” Bedelia playfully warns Hannibal. He listens to her but makes no physical indication of it. At this point, she’s used to his subtlety.
“Hello!” The parents greet Hannibal and Bedelia with a smile and a wave. They seem to always talk to Hannibal more than Bedelia, like he is the head of the household. It’s old fashioned, yes, but at the end of the day Bedelia wouldn’t dare to impose her will on Hannibal. No matter how far away from the past they get, she will never forget who he really is. So, he might as well be the dominant one—yes, even outside the bedroom.
“How are you two doing?” The husband asks. He also leads conversations for his wife Bedelia notices.
It’s just a different culture here .
“Good, good. Leo’s been missing the park,” Hannibal says gaily. Bedelia tries to butt in with, “and his friends!” cutely, but all she gets is a small chuckle before the focus shifts back to Hannibal.
“I’ve noticed you have been coming to the park less,” the husband says. It triggers alarms in both Hannibal and Bedelia’s minds.
What is he stalking us? Hannibal jokes in his mind.
What is he stalking us? Bedelia worries in her mind.
“Yes, our Leo had been quite sick lately,” the other couple’s faces twist sympathetically, “First it was a cold, and then a case of what was most likely a stomach flu.”
“You homeschool him?” the husband asks. A confirmation hum comes from Hannibal.
“Then… how could he have possibly gotten sick? Unless food poisoning—” the very idea that Hannibal’s cooking made Leo sick stung so hard that he had to interrupt with:
“No, no, we took a trip to a few markets to explore the surrounding area… many people in a crowded space can be a detrimental breeding ground for—”
“Alright, I get it,” the other man laughs at Hannibal. The two almost have a slight rivalry with each other. The other husband seems to be envious of Hannibal’s extensive knowledge, or at least that’s what Hannibal deduces it to.
They all hear a whining from the playground and look to see the two kids arguing. They both are fighting for the horse spring rider that’s on the playground. Since it is the only spring rider in the park, it feels like a life or death situation to the kids.
“I want it!”
“It’s mine!”
They yell back and forth, and Bedelia and the other mother go to check on them.
“I presume there to be a conflict of interest,” Hannibal states watching the women leave the bench.
“They’re, like… five ,” the other dad says in disbelief. It’s like this guy always has to be so well spoken just to rub it in everyone’s faces , he thinks, perturbed by Hannibal’s formalities.
The women, overhearing the men’s conversation, create their own narrative on it.
“He’s your husband?” The other mom asks, knowing the answer. She wants to poke Bedelia.
“Yes… my one and only…” Bedelia says, embarrassed by how different her and Hannibal are from the other couple.
“Oh, brother,” the other lady exasperates. The poke she had induced worked.
“He’s definitely an, uh, interesting man,” Bedelia scours for power in the situation but she can’t find it. All she does is stumble over her words.
“Truly…”
“Mamma!” Giulia yells to her mother, “he’s not letting me play with il cavallo !”