PAWS [Hannigram]

Chapter 3

-"Look at you"

Will's father smiled when his son took a good look at himself in the mirror. He just stood there, not feeling like his body truly belonged to him. He had changed into a more-or-less formal shirt and a pair of black pants which were both a little too big so he could "grow into them", as his father said. Even his messy hair was combed and untangled, though it kept its initial curly, untamed look despite all his attempts at making it stay in the same place.

-"I don't understand this..", he mumbled, turning to the side to look at himself in another perspective. 

-"Why do I have to dress nice? It's just some kid who wants to play.. "

-"Right, but the Lecter family has very high standards, Will", his father explained, picking another fight with the boy's hair.

-"If you misbehave, they won't ever let you play at their house again"

-"That's perfect, isn't it?"

Will wanted to smile, but the look he earned from his dad shut him down very quickly. 

-"If I get a single complaint about you, you'll be staying in the house for the rest of the summer. Got it?"

The boy quickly nodded and raised his hand above his head in salute to his father, who smiled and kissed his forehead at that. 

-”Good. I am sure you will have a fun time, Will”

He smiled as his son took his small backpack. He had a lunch box with a sandwich made just the way Will liked it - everyone knew he refused to eat food that was’t cooked in very specific ways, and who knew how long he’d stay there.

-”And when you are back, we can continue the abduction case, kay?”

Will nodded enthusiastically, following his father out of the house. Internally, he just wanted to crawl under his bedsheets and stay there for the rest of the summer, but he understood the consequences of not going to Hannibals house. Surprisingly, the walk there wasn’t a long one. Hannibal lived on another block, but it was not too far from Will’s house and the park.

Will looked at the house - no, it was a mansion - in awe. It was huge! Bigger than any house Will had ever seen. It was painted in a bright, white color, which looked spotless when observed with the naked eye, much unlike the white walls in his own room which were stained with all kinds of filth.

His father looked down to the boy in surprise when he stopped in his tracks.

-”What’s wrong?”

Will didn’t take his eyes off the masion. It was big and pretty but.. Way bigger than he was used to. It made him feel.. not scared, but rather uneasy. 

-”I.. I can’t go in there”

His father, very well aware of the boy’s mental issues, sighed.

-”Okay.. What if he went in together, hm?”

Will nodded, taking the man’s hand. He rarely did that - it made him feel like a little baby, and embarassed - but his dad never minded. In fact, he kind of liked it. It reminded him, that his son was still the baby he took home from the hospital almost eight years ago, no matter how much he grew since then. He smiled, walking the unsure boy to the front door. He picked him up a little so Will could reach the doorbell and ring it himself. He giggled at the sound it made when his feet touched the ground.

A woman opened the door shortly after. There was an warm and welcoming smile on her lips, which only got wider when she saw the unsure little boy staring up at her, an intimidated look on his face.