[Hannibal had Will's attention, his focus, and he cradled Will's cheek, aiming by the touch to keep him focused, to keep him from slipping away again.]

Our union is above all else to me, Will. I wish to nourish it, strengthen it, to encourage it to flower. Such a thing is best done not by fighting our circumstances, but by bringing them into harmony. By an agreement that honors us both at our very core.