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Title: Grasping At Straws
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1drabble
Prompt: 37, Moon
Author's Note: Sequel to "Lucid Dream."
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Hannibal Lecter or Will Graham, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

"So, you saw your attacker sneaking up on you in a dream, is that it?"

Will nodded slowly, his gaze on Hannibal. "What do you think it means? Does that mean he's getting closer? Should I be looking over my shoulder?"

Hannibal frowned, steepling his fingers under his chin. Will had the feeling that the other man was searching for exactly the right words to say, words that would calm and soothe, even if they weren't necessarily just what he was feeling, or what his real convictions were.

When Hannibal finally spoke again, his voice was soft, but the words were firm. "Yes, Will, I believe that you should. I believe that your unconscious mind is trying to tell you something."

Will wasn't sure if he was surprised by those words or not.

"What can you remember about the dream, Will?" Hannibal was staring at him intently now, as though he was willing those memories to come to the forefront.

Will tried to concentrate, tried to bring the disturbing visions back into his mind. He tried to remember the dreams he'd had, and the actual attack -- but the only thing that came to mind at the moment was what he had seen in sky, shining brightly above him.

"The moon," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "The moon was shining. It was really bright, a big full one. The moon made it almost as bright as day."

Hannibal nodded, looking thoughtful. "So .... perhaps the full moon has something to do with why this man attacked you. That could be a place to start."

"What? Do you think he's a werewolf?" Will couldn't but let out a laugh at that idea. "Hannibal, you can be a little weird sometimes, but that's just something out of a fantasy novel. I'm not Little Red Riding Hood, and the Big Bad Wolf isn't waiting to gobble me up."

Hannibal's smile looked strained; Will felt a pang of guilt at his laughter. Obviously that wasn't what had been meant; Hannibal was trying to offer suggestions.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I wasn't making fun of you. Honestly."

"I know you weren't." Hannibal's expression had cleared; had Will only imagined that flash of annoyance he thought he had glimpsed in those dark eyes?

He struggled to hold on to the image in his mind; he wished that bright moon had illuminated the face of his attacker, or had at least given him some indication as to what the man might look like. But that mental image remained stubbornly dark; he couldn't bring a face into focus.

Still, if he concentrated hard enough, maybe he would be able to think of something about the man that had stood out in that bright moonlight. It was worth a try.

He was grasping at straws, but at the moment, it was all he had to go on.

***