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Title: Darker Motivations
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 497
Author's Note: Sequel to "Presence."
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Will Graham or Hannibal Lecter, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Hannibal sighed softly, resting his head in one hand.

A headache had started, but at the moment, he didn't feel like rising from his desk chair and going into the bathroom for some aspirin. He couldn't summon the energy.

There were still clouds blocking his memory of just what had happened on that night that he had attacked Will, but there were also flashes that came through those clouds. He was the one who had done it; he had no doubt of that. But he had no idea how he could inform Will of that fact.

The truth was that he couldn't. There was no way that he could deal with seeing the hurt and revulsion that he was sure would show on Will's features.

He couldn't bear having Will pull away from him.

That would destroy something in his soul, to see fear and loathing in those beautiful blue eyes. It would rip away the last vestiges of what was honorable within him.

There wasn't much of that left, Hannibal thought wryly. Honor had left him long ago, on that day when he had discovered his beloved sister's fate. That was what had set him on the path he had taken, and until meeting Will, he'd had no reason to regret that path. He had always reveled in it.

Until now. Until the knowledge had settled on him that he had harmed the one person he'd ever wanted to spend his life with, the one person who could change him.

He sat back, rubbing a hand across his chin. Was that entirely true? Could he change himself for Will? Did he even truly want to do so?

It seemed that other clouds were finally dissipating, letting him see his motivations for pursuing Will more clearly than he ever had. He had told himself that he loved Will, that he wanted them to be together. But was that strictly the truth -- or were his motivations something far darker?

Hannibal shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts away. He didn't want to let go of the rosy picture that he had been holding of Will in his mind for a while.

But was that picture just wishing for what could never be?

In a way, he was glad that these clouds in his mind were dissipating, and allowing him to at least partially see what had taken place. But a part of him didn't want to know.

He might be much happier if he had no knowledge of what had taken place on that moonlit night. Then, if Will had a sudden resurgence of memory, then he would be able to honestly say that he had no recollection of it, that he couldn't be held responsible for what had happened.

But that hope was gone, now that his own memories had surfaced. Hannibal sighed again, pushing himself out of his chair and heading for the bathroom.

His thoughts had brought the headache back with a vengeance.

***