I have exactly two pairings with Chilton that involve other canon characters, and both of them are abusive, or at least end up like that.
One of them is Childeon, of course. I always imagine them having a history together, knowing each other since med school, and having been in a rather long relationship. That relationship actually started out well, they were happy - the only time Frederick was ever genuinely happy with someone - but at some point, Abel started turning darker and darker, and they eventually broke up.
Today, all that fondness is gone. Frederick himself destroyed the last bits that were left of āhisā old Abel, and Abel is just driven by vengefulness. He doesnāt want to see him dead, death would be relief, and Frederick doesnāt deserve relief. He wants to humiliate him, and finally destroy him in return, by any means necessary, no matter how cruel and inhumane. Neither of the two loves the other anymore, but they both very well remember the old times, sometimes with a drop of nostalgia, and a feeling of āHow could this happen to us?ā, mostly on Frederickās side. Abel knows that, and heās absolutely willing to use those feelings against him as well. He doesnāt care how, he just wants him wrecked in all ways possible.
The other ship is Chilibal, I think thatās the most common name for it, and that one canāt even be called a relationship with a lot of fantasy.
Hannibalās intentions for Frederick arenāt quite as malicious as Abelās. Frederick has done him wrong by giving the credit for his work to somebody else, but well, it comes in handy for him, because that gives him a chance to continue, at least for another while. Also, he just doesnāt take Frederick seriously. He just wants to experiment with him a little, and maybe use him as a tool for this and that, just like heās framing him for the murders in season two.
In situations where thereās intimacy between those two, itās just like that. Frederick is basically a better sort of toy he uses to have some casual fun, or to ārelease pressureā, if we want to be a little spiteful here. Of course HannibalĀ is nice and polite as always, to make him believe there were feelings involved, but in all honesty, he doesnāt actually care much about Frederick. Breaking him isnāt his primary goal, but he wouldnāt care if that happened either.
TL;DR: Frederick Chilton isnāt allowed to have nice things. Ever.