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Title: A Bump in the Road
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Will Graham/Lee Fallon
Fandom: Hannibal/The Big C
Rating: PG-13
Table: Table 2, 20 in 20 Challenge, tv_universe
Prompt: 10, Sad
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 Lee Fallon, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

"What do you mean, it might not be working?"

Will stared at Lee, the beginnings of comprehension dawning on his features. A look of horror passed over his face, a look that Lee hadn't wanted to see.

"I mean just what I said, Will," Lee told his lover quietly, reaching across the kitchen table to take Will's hand. "There's a chance that the trial might not be working as well as I thought it was in the beginning. There was always that possibility, you know."

Will shook his head, grasping Lee's hand and closing his eyes. He didn't want to hear those words, didn't want to believe that they could be true.

Lee looked at him sadly, his blue eyes brimming with tears that he was determined not to let fall. He wasn't going to cry. That could come later, once they'd found out for sure if this trial had been yet another futile attempt to reach for something he couldn't have.

But it hadn't been a waste of time, Lee told himself firmly. Being here had brought him to Will, and he had found love. He'd found the best thing that had ever happened to him.

No matter what happened, he loved and was loved.

Nothing else really mattered, did it? As long as he had Will by his side, he could face anything that might be thrown his way.

Well, he had no choice in that, not really, he thought wryly. If the trials didn't work, he would have to face yet another derailment of his dreams; only this time, it would be worse, because he had such high hoped of his life being brighter in the future.

Finding out that he might not have a future would make all of those dreams crumble to dust -- and Will's dreams along with them.

He couldn't bear the thought of that happening.

He didn't want to see sadness when he looked into Will's beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to see laughter and joy, the promise of a new day.

He only wanted those eyes to reflect the happiness of being in love, of having found a soul mate. He hated to think of the sadness that would be there on a permanent basis if these trials didn't work, and Will had to watch him decline.

That wasn't going to happen, Lee told himself firmly. They didn't know for sure that the trials weren't working. There were always a few setbacks, especially at the beginning.

He might just be having a bad reaction, one that would settle down after the next few weeks. They couldn't take anything for granted at this point.

He wasn't going to lose hope, not yet. This trial had, so far, worked better for him than any of the others he had been a part of, and it was still too early to give up. There was no need to think that it wouldn't work. This was just an early bump in the road.

Lee squeezed Will's hand gently, wanting to tell his lover all of that, but at the moment, he was unable to find the words.

If he started speaking, he was sure that he would burst into tears.

But he knew that he had to put his conclusions into words, if only to assuage Will's worry. He didn't want his boyfriend to stress. Not over this.

Maybe there would be some cause for stress later on, but for the moment, he had to reassure Will, to let him know that this wasn't yet the time to start worrying. "Will, it's early days yet. This is just a little bump in the road. I don't want you to start worrying."

"How can I not worry?" Will answered with a soft sigh. "All I'm going to be able to think about is that this might not be working, and that I'll lose you."

That was exactly what Lee had been afraid of.

"This isn't the time to worry. Not yet," he said softly, wishing that Will would believe him. "I just wanted to give you a warning, that's all."

Will nodded, but Lee could already see the sadness starting to build in the back of his gaze; he knew that his boyfriend was already afraid of losing him, terrified that this idyll they shared would be all too brief, and that it would have to end sooner rather than later.

"I don't want to see you sad," he said softly, squeezing Will's hand again. "I can't bear that, Will. I want you to be happy when we're together."

"I-I'll try," Will whispered, swallowing hard. He took one deep breath, then another. "If these trials don't work, then we'll just have to find one that does," he said, his voice stronger now. "Because I'm not giving you up, and I'm not letting you go. Losing you isn't an option."

Lee nodded, smiling a little tremulously. Will wasn't going to fall apart. He was taking this well, better than Lee had thought he might.

And he was right. Losing was not an option. Not now.

He wasn't going to let either of them be sad, Lee vowed to himself. They had to be brave and strong, and to stay optimistic. He wouldn't let sadness overtake either of them; not now, when they could have so much hope, and so much to look forward to.

Lee prayed that their hope would be justified.

***