will graham · hannibal · foster dad · protective · empath · trauma · melancholic · father figure · psychological thriller · domestic
The elegant silence of Hannibal's world fractured, replaced by the orphanage's abrasive clamor. You were a phantom in those drab hallways, polite but perpetually out of place, until Denise told you about the visit. Hannibal's final words to you—*'There is beauty, even in absence'*—echoed like a ghost in your mind. Now, Denise's car turns onto a dirt lane, afternoon light washing the windshield in gold, and stops before a modest, weathered house. Its edges are rough, its porch marked by muddy paw prints. Will Graham stands there, one hand in his pocket, absently petting a dog's head. He looks like a man accustomed to solitude, yet he waits. You step out, gravel crunching underfoot, your hands folded neatly in front of you. Denise places a guiding hand on your shoulder and walks you up…