"I kissed Alana Bloom tonight." And just like that, Will fired the opening salvo in the next round of the game he and Hannibal had been playing now for more weeks than Will cared to count. It was a calculated risk, he knew. Pushing Hannibal this way was as likely to blow up in his face as it was to get him what he wanted, but he was tired of the dance. Or courtship. Or slow seduction. Or whatever the hell it was that Hannibal had been playing at since that revealing little conversation they had had in the psychiatrist's office after one too many glasses of wine had loosen Wills inhibitions. Loosened them enough that he had admitted to longing for someone who could take him out of his own head; to take control in a way Will himself couldn't and just make the noise stop. Embarrassed, he had quickly changed the subject, relieved when the good doctor had allowed it, giving only one of his enigmatic smiles as Will squirmed in his chair with mortification.

The very next day, whatever this was had started.

And it hadn't stopped.

And it was slowly driving Will mad.

He may not be able to put an exact name to it (torture), but it had become increasingly clear that he was being played with. Ever since that night, the older man had taken to casually brushing up against him whenever they were in close proximity in public; touching him in seemingly innocent ways that were anything but. A hand to the small of his back to guide him as they walked or laying a comforting hand on his shoulder when they were deep in discussion. No, those touches were anything but innocent; landing a bit too low on his waist and lingering a moment too long for Will to take them as anything other than the tease that they were meant to be.

And the innuendoes. Don't even get Will started on those. Delivered in that low, sexy, accented voice of his, coupled with heated, lingering looks and topped off by that ever irritating (hot) smirk so that even the briefest of conversations with Hannibal had left Will walking around in discomfort, forced in various ways to conceal how embarrassingly hard his psychiatrist could make him with his voice alone. Will had to admit, Hannibal had a gift for imbuing normal, everyday conversations with erotic suggestion. And Hannibal knew the effect he was having on him. The evidence of this was clear to see in the smug look that lingered on the doctor's handsome face after every encounter.

So Will had reciprocated. He had flirted back, had accepted the little touches, let Hannibal fix his scarf when it came unwound in the wind at crime scenes, let him straighten his collar for him when Hannibal popped in just to check on him between classes and had even made a determined effort make more eye contact. Hell, he had even stooped so low that he started making an effort with his appearance. Less plaid, more button ups. Will trimmed his beard and made a valiant attempt at taming his curls (a vain, but still valiant effort, as it turned out.)

All in an attempt to let Hannibal know he was receptive to his attentions. And Nada. Zilch. Zip. Nothing changed. At all. Maybe he was being too subtle. After two weeks of this, Will had started dropping hints, making innuendos of his own, anything to get things moving along.

All of which accomplished him exactly nothing.

Hannibal, it seemed, was in no hurry; determined to keep to whatever pace he had decided on without consulting Will.

Altogether, it had left Will more frustrated (horny) than he could ever remember being and feeling more than a little reckless. That recklessness had led him to Hannibal's door tonight, determined (desperate) to make something happen. It was time to take their game to the next level and if he had to push Hannibal's buttons to accomplish that goal… well then, Will was more than willing to push them all.

Making a show of taking off his jacket and brushing snow from his hair, Will kept careful watch out of the corner of his eye while pretending not to. If he hadn't been looking so hard for it, he would have missed the flash of savage possessiveness that turned the rich brown of Hannibal's eyes to blood soaked earth for just a moment before he recovered himself enough to bid Will to "Please come in."

Proceeding Hannibal down the hall towards the dining room and kitchen, Will allowed himself a small grin while Hannibal could not see it. It had only been a tiny break in the mask Hannibal wore; lasting only a second at most, but it had happened. Will wondered how quickly he could make it happen again.

As he stepped into the dining room, the cold draft from the open patio door gave him pause. "You have guests?" he asked, feeling foolish that he had just assumed Hannibal would be alone. He was well aware how much the older man loved to entertain and felt a pang of guilt that he might be intruding.

"A colleague" Hannibal corrected.

"Well he didn't finish his dinner."

"A call of some kind, he had to leave suddenly" Hannibal soothed, now fully recovered from his momentary lapse of control in the entryway. "This is to your advantage, as I have desert for two." Leading the way into the kitchen, he proceeded to pull a tray from the warming oven, filling the kitchen with the rich aroma of spiced sweetness. Studiously avoiding looking at Will, Hannibal busied himself with plating the decadent dessert.

"I am curious, Will, why you kissed her then felt the need to drive an hour in the snow to tell me about it." The forced casualness of the question tempted another grin from Will, which he had to smother with a hand over his mouth as he faked anxious embarrassment.

"Well, she's very kissable" he offered flippantly and the next grin would not be bitten back at the low growl Hannibal let out at his remark.

Dark eyes narrowed, taking in the mischief dancing the stormy blue orbs over the smirk Will was no longer trying to hide. Careful hands placed the bowl of whipped cream back on the counter before predatory strides brought Hannibal around the island to stand perilously close to where he waited. Oh, yes. Now they were getting somewhere. Will had to crank his head back to maintain eye contact and he suppressed a shiver as Hannibal seemed to loom over him. Logically, Will knew Hannibal only had an inch or so on him, but the sheer strength of the man's personality always made him seem so much larger. And when he aimed to intimidate, he could be downright overwhelming. One of the many things Will loved about him.

"And tell me, William, did you enjoy it, the taste of our sweet Alana on your lips?" Hannibal purred, his accent lending his words a dangerous eroticism that moved over Will like claws sliding over skin, not breaking the surface, not yet. But the threat was there. The lion was in the room and he was not pleased.

A wise man would know that now was the time for caution. After all, bearding a lion in his den was a delicate matter.

Will had never been accused of being wise.

Peeking up through lower lashes, Will bit his lip; drawing it slowly through his teeth with a sigh. And then he pulled the lion's mane with everything he had.

"Well, it was a very good kiss" he taunted softly.

Bingo.

A flash of movement, a hand snaring his curls while another curled around his throat possessively, lips crashing down on his; Will found himself pressed up against the wall as Hannibal's body aggressively crowed his, leaving not an inch of space between them. Will groaned at the feel of the heavy erection pressing against his hip and Hannibal took advantage of the opportunity to lick into his mouth, the kiss turning dirty and possessive as their tongues tangled with one another. With a whimper, Will dug his fingers into Hannibal's shoulders, blunt nails snagging in the expensive fabric in an effort to pull him impossibly closer. A hard thigh was roughly thrust between his own and Will immediately began to grind against it, desperate for friction against his aching cock.

Head starting to spin from lack of oxygen, Will broke the kiss to gasp for much needed air, his head tilting back to give Hannibal's roving mouth better access to his throat, swallowing against the hand still pressed there in a blatant claim.

"God, finally" he laughed shakily. "If I had known you'd react like this, I'd have kissed Alana a week ago!" The sharp nip delivered to his earlobe in reprimand startled a yelp from him before his lips were recaptured for another long kiss that ended with Hannibal drawing Will's bottom lip slowly between his teeth, not releasing it until Will whimpered in pained pleasure.

"Admitting to such manipulations may not be in your best interests William" Hannibal murmured against Will's kiss swollen lips.

"Well, I had to do something to break you out of your little game of seduction. God, Hannibal, you've been driving me crazy for weeks!"

"That was exactly the point" Hannibal smirked at him. "It's called seduction for a reason my dear Will."

"Yeah, well consider me seduced and fuck me already" Will demanded with a growl, using his grip on Hannibal's shoulders to try and bring him down for another kiss. He gave a whine of frustration as his efforts were thwarted, the hand still curled around his throat tightening gently, pushing him back against the wall to pin him in place as Hannibal considered him with narrowed eyes.

"Topping from the bottom, William?" he tsked in disapproval. "What a naughty boy you're being. What's to be done about that?"