Hannibal was a man of extremely refined tastes. Fine food and drink was the only thing he preferred to consume. Whether that meant the best cuts of his prizes, or the best imported wines available, it didn't matter, as long as it was, indeed, the best. His tastes also didn't allow him to bear to be in the presence of those who deigned to be rude upon first meeting him.

Except, it appeared, for you. You were a somewhat troubled individual, he could tell. You wouldn't look him in the eye. It appeared you'd been having a particularly bad day when you met, because you'd been rather rude and dismissive towards him.

But... Hannibal couldn't help but notice the little things. You weren't rude on purpose, he had deduced. Just unaccustomed (and frankly, uncomfortable) with polite conversation. You'd rather be anywhere else than there, speaking professionally.

You'd apologized to him some time later with a small gift. New cufflinks and a mumbled apology. It was enough to nearly make him swoon. You were such an awkward little thing.

And perhaps that was what led him to chase you. Your inability to maintain eye contact, your discomfort with the frivolity of your chosen field. So Hannibal began to dig.

You were a teacher, he found out. How ironic that someone such as you would be in a profession that required so much interaction with others. And you lived alone in a house in the less populated area of Maryland with several dogs. He'd never liked them, himself. But he supposed they comforted you in a way he could not, as of yet.

The second time Hannibal met you, he was prepared.

You were such a pretty little thing, with long lashes, hair and countenance that always seemed to be a little askew. But in your own way, you were perfectly imperfect.

He approached you from behind, where you were currently taking in the details of a piece of art in Jack Crawford's Museum of Twisted Minds. Hannibal, however, could tell you weren't really looking. You'd simply felt his gaze and wished to avoid him.

"Quite the piece," he commented, standing just close enough to smell your scent. He'd always loved it. So distinctly you.