Kissing Hale's neck, Hannibal smiled tiredly as he said "Don't worry, I'll protect you from anything that might try to harm you. Because..." Hannibal stopped and looked at Hale's face, gorgeous in sleep, and smiled. As he slipped into sleep, Hannibal confessed in a murmur "Because I love you." And with that, Hannibal drifted off into sleep, arms and tail holding Hale close.