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Title: Crumbling Barriers
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1drabble
Prompt: 7, Change
Author's Note: Sequel to "On and Off Again."
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 Will seemed to think that they were having problems.

Hannibal hadn't viewed their relationship in that way; he had assumed that Will had no problems with the nature of how they were with each other. However, it now seemed that Will wanted more -- so perhaps it was time for things to change a bit.

Perhaps the dynamics of their relationship needed to change. Will needed to feel that he had a bit more control, and Hannibal would give him that illusion.

Of course, it wouldn't be the truth. He would never relinquish control of any situation, especially not to the man he was involved with, the man who should be kept under his dominion at all times. But Will wouldn't know that. He would only see what he was allowed to see.

He wouldn't realize that his control was only an illusion.

He'd have to tread carefully to give Will that impression, of course. He would have to put up a few barriers, walls that could be pulled back down over time.

Changes would have to be made. He wouldn't be able to continue his little cat-and-mouse game with Will, that game he so enjoyed of pulling Will close to him and then holding him at arm's length again. He would have to let Will get closer.

Or would he only have to make Will think that he was getting closer? Hannibal narrowed his eyes as he silently led the young man up the stairs and down the hallway towards his bedroom. Did he want to take the risk of letting Will in, however briefly?

He'd already made that choice, Hannibal realized with a clarity of thought that almost made him catch his breath. He had already let Will in.

That change had already been made, before he had realized it.

Will was more to him than just a body to fuck, more to him than a simple mind game. Somehow, Will had managed to become the center of his thoughts -- possibly even the center of his life. And certainly the center of his heart.

How could he not have known this had happened? How could he not have seen the changes taking place? But he hadn't, and now he had to deal with them.

Now wasn't the right time to deal with those changes, Hannibal told himself. Now was the time to let Will feel that he was in control, but only slightly. To let him feel that the barriers between them were falling, to let him build up a bit of self-confidence.

And perhaps some of those barriers actually would crumble.

***