Hannibal Lecter is infatuated with Will Graham. He knows he is; he allows himself to be.
Graham's mind is something of pure beauty. It has the ability to make connections based on pure intuition. It is something Lecter cannot even wrap his mind around. Hannibal can make connections, based on analysis. So can Graham. But Graham doesn't need analysis. He can make them instantly. It comes with a cost, of course. Everything comes to him-especially the nasty. Instantly his mind is filled with the perverse, the crude, the unnerving. He could avoid this if he avoided the sources: the crime scenes. But he doesn't. In fact, he goes out of his way to seek them out. Is it because he likes the suffering? Obviously not: He's not the type (sadly). It's because he fancies himself a hero. He believes it's the right thing to do. He saves lives with his gift. It's at a high cost, but if someone died when he could have prevented it, the poor boy wouldn't be able to live with himself. That's another thing that makes Graham so fascinating: his morality.
Will Graham has a concern for people that surprises Lecter as much as it does everyone else. To the average observer, Graham appears aloof, withdrawn. But he can sense the energy that emanates off of everyone and everything. It overwhelms him, and he shuts down, barely able to manage even the basic niceties of conversation. When Graham's mental state is better, Lecter wants to help him with his daily distresses. Will Graham cares so much about others. He adjusts his speech to match theirs (an unconscious representation of his awareness); he matches their movements and mimics them flawlessly. When someone else is distressed, he either attempts help (if he's able), or flees (if he's not). He puts others' needs-especially stranger's needs-before his own. It is so very perplexing to Hannibal. He almost feels sorry for the boy, who constantly tortures himself for anonymities who will never even thank him. Will Graham deserves better. He is special and needs to be treated with care by someone with gentle hands. Hannibal Lecter knows he can give Graham the care that he needs.
That care entails the cautious and meticulous reconstruction of the man's morality. He needs more selfishness, more avarice. He needs more impulsivity. He needs to adopt a bit of hedonism. He doesn't get enough joy out of life; in fact, he barely gets any at all. That needs to change.
Lecter has thoughts that extend past the realm of necessary care. The lines between the various types of fascinations always do blur before him. He dreams of taking the man in a number of ways; of consuming him, and of being consumed by him. His scent is something so enthralling that it seems illusory. It is delightfully sweet, enticing. It draws Lecter in with its potency. Part of its strength can be attributed to Will's illness; illnesses do affect people's scents. But Hannibal is confident-and hopes very fervently-that even after it is gone, Will's essence will remain entirely intact. It is beautiful and fragile, but not breakable. It is easily influenced, but unwavering at its core.
The contradictions conjoin to make up the living complexity that is Will Graham. It is hard not to become obsessed with such a man; understanding him, in particular, presented such a challenge. Even more enchanting was the potential he possessed; he presented the possibility of being the best man Lecter had ever known. Lecter hoped with every part of his being that Will Graham was able to hang on to his beauty; without it, life would be painfully dull. Of course, there were ways to preserve Graham in the near-perfect state that he currently occupied-but as of now, those were unnecessary.
Hannibal Lecter was infatuated with Will Graham, and he would not allow his infatuation so easily to be gone.