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Cosmic Love - Florence + the Machine
A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes

I screamed aloud, as it tore through them, and now it's left me blind

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

The forest was shrouded in ink; not even the stars glowed above. The birds and the crickets had fallen silent and the only thing remaining was the absence of sound, a stranger passing through the trees.

"Hannibal," she whispered. It felt wrong to yell in such a perfect silence.

The only reply she received was the static sound of raindrops hitting the leaves. She was growing increasingly afraid. Hannibal was gone, and she couldn't find him anywhere.

"Hannibal." Her voice was strained and hoarse. Tears blurred her vision and all she could see was the darkness surrounding her.

And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat
I tried to find the sound
But then it stopped, and I was in the darkness,
So darkness I became

She stopped and leaned against a tree, letting the salty drops she'd been trying to hold in loose.

"Don't cry my dear."

Her eyes flew open and she saw his familiar shadow.

"Hannibal," she whispered. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to her forehead. She heard his heartbeat, like music in her ears. It was always so uncompromisingly calm and strong and resonant, never changing. She wrapped her arms around tightly. She felt bad for ruining his suit with her tears. It must have cost him a fortune.

"I must leave you," he said softly. "I didn't think you would follow."

"Why would you think I wouldn't?" She squeezed her eyes shut again, determined not to let any more tears fall.

"Because I didn't think you were this foolish," he sighed. He buried his face in her neck, sniffing her soft skin. "They will find me, and they will kill me. I am so sorry."

She looked up at him with wide eyes brimming with tears and fear. He felt guilt roil in him. He could hear them coming. He assumed it would take them about ten minutes to find him. He pulled her tight to his chest again, knowing that it could be the last time he ever would.

He kissed her forehead one last time and pulled away.

His slow, deep heartbeat vanished as he did.

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

She stood there in silence, her hands shaking and the tears dripping down her cheeks. She lost track of how long she stood there; every hour seemed the same. She looked up at the sky, in hopes there would be even the moonlight to guide her home, but there was none. The moon had hidden her pale face behind a pall of clouds. __________ wandered through the woods until she reached the slick, wet-smelling road and walked the familiar path home. She fumbled with the key at first, but eventually unlocked the door to his enormous house. She stumbled through the door and turned to switch on the lights, but they didn't shine. She assumed the storm had knocked the power out. She kicked off her shoes, hoping they wouldn't break something expensive.

She weaved her way around the furniture and down long hallways, finally settling in the bedroom. The bed was obviously made in haste, which was unusual for Hannibal. She slipped under the covers and buried her face in his pillow. The soft scent of sage, copper, and the faint redolence of red wine clung to it. It made her sick with sadness, but she wanted to smell it more and more. It was utterly Hannibal in every way. The bed felt so empty without him beside her.

I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you

She spent the majority of the week either in the shower or in bed. The power had eventually been restored, but she couldn't remember exactly when. She didn't bother to call Will and tell him she wouldn't be at work for the rest of the week.

The bed was beginning to smell like clean laundry and salt water. The subdued scent of Hannibal had faded away, like smoke on the wind. ___________ was losing hope in the fact that he was still alive. It only took a second to take someone's life. It had been days now.

The nightmares she'd already had were worsening without Hannibal there. He kept them away for the most part, and when she did have them, he always managed to find a way to cast them out of her head. Perhaps it was because he truly cared about her well-being. Perhaps it was because he was an esteemed psychiatrist.

Tonight, they were incredibly realistic, looming black ghosts edging their way into her mind. They made her stomach churn in fear and the cold sweat on her skin clung to the sheets. She tossed and turned until she suddenly jerked herself awake.

She took a shaky breath and decided she needed to get out and get some fresh air. The storm brewing above was inviting. She put on her shoes and locked the door behind her. The smell of dirt and fresh leaves was alluring. She wandered aimlessly down the road, begrudgingly enjoying the distance from home. She lost herself in thought. The breeze was picking up and the first light rain of the storm had begun to fall. She blinked the droplets off of her eyelashes and shook herself from her thoughts. She found herself on the outskirts of the woods, staring between the somewhat intimidating trees. Fear grabbed hold of her and she felt the cold terror wrap its fingers around her neck and squeeze the air from her lungs. She felt her legs propelling her forward. She wanted to turn and run home, but her body simply wouldn't let her.

The darkness was almost worse than it was the night he left. The moon would not shine anyways; it was new. The stars were smothered by the thunderclouds. The heavier rain began to fall.

__________ felt her throat constrict.

This was where she lost him. She felt the tears force their way out and mingle with the rain pelting her cheeks. She kept walking, shuffling through the wet leaves and sticks.

The tears streamed down her cheeks endlessly, somehow refilled by the storm and the rain crashing down on her.

"Don't cry my dear."

She felt warm arms wrap their way around her and heard the familiar powerful, stable beat of his heart.

He was alive.

She felt herself finally let the tears go, crying so hard she made no noise, shuddering in his arms.

"H-Hannibal." She was barely able to get the word out. She wrapped her arms around him, afraid to let him go. "You're alive."

"I am," he said softly.

"W-Why didn't you come home?" she whispered.

"I was afraid to. I'm glad you can't see me."

She nodded. He pulled her closer to stop the trembling.

"Shh," he said, slowly rocking her. "There is no need to cry anymore."

He took her hand and they walked back through the woods and made the journey home.

___________ felt her stomach roll when she saw him. His expensive jacket was gone. He was only in his vest and button-up, both stained red from blood. She was sure it wasn't all his. Both his eyes were blackened and his lip was split. Blood was spattered across his cheeks and smearing his chin. His hands were bruised and the skin on his knuckles was nearly gone, revealing the pale bones underneath. His usually flawless hair was matted to his forehead. He turned away.

"Go to bed, I shall be there in a moment," he said quietly.

She did as she was told and slipped under the covers. Exhaustion suddenly took over her and she closed her eyes, but she refused to fall sleep without him. He eventually came up and slid in beside her. The lights in the house flickered out again, leaving them in the dark. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She fell asleep soon after, listening to the rush of his blood in her ears as they slept in the dark together.

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart