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Title: Believe in Happy Endings
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: Quotables, Part 2, tv_universe
Prompt: "Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."
Author's Note: Sequel to "Bold Moves."
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Hannibal Lecter or Will Graham, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Could the two of them have a happy ending?

Will couldn't help glancing at Hannibal across the breakfast table, a quick look from beneath his long lashes. He just wanted to see if his lover was smiling.

It was disconcerting to realize that Hannibal was indeed smiling -- and that he was watching Will, those lips curved in an expression of pleasure and satisfaction.

Why shouldn't his lover be satisfied? They'd made love this morning, just as the sun was coming up; Will could still feel the soreness lingering in his body, but it was a good kind of pain. It was a pain that meant he'd gotten what he wanted, and that his lover had been satiated as well.

But would this last? How long could he hope to hold onto a man like Hannibal? Was this only a fling, or was it the kind of relationship that would grow and develop?

He was almost afraid to think forward into the future. He didn't think that he could bear the idea of being alone again, not after the glorious times he'd shared with this man.

Being alone had always been his greatest fear.

Still, something told him that having a happy ending with Hannibal, the two of them growing old together, wasn't a future dream that he should count on coming true.

Why did he think that there was no possibility of a happy ending for the two of them, a life together? He shouldn't think that way. There was no reason why they shouldn't be happy.

"What are you thinking of, Will?" Hannibal asked, his voice quiet, but the tone holding a hint of amusement. "Judging from the way you blushed when you glanced at me, I can only think that your mind is on something to do with me, or with our relationship. Won't you tell me?"

Will took a deep breath, wondering what to say. He should probably just jump right into the subject, tell his lover what he had been thinking, and see what Hannibal had to say.

"I was thinking that you and I should have a happy ending to our story, but wondering if that was even a possibility," he said, wincing at how sharp the words sounded when spoken aloud.

Hannibal nodded, putting down his fork and studying Will with a serious expression on his face. "Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing, Will. It can change the way that you look at a relationship entirely. If you don't believe there is a possibility, you react differently."

"I want to think that you and I can have a happy ending, that we can spend our lives together," Will told him, meeting the other man's gaze squarely. "I just don't know how you feel about it."

Hannibal looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "I have to say that I believe in the possibility of a happy ending, as well. How could I not? You fill me with hope, Will."

Those words made Will's heart soar, and brought a delighted smile to his face.

So Hannibal thought that they had a future -- and a shot at a happy ending. That was really all he'd needed to hear, wasn't it? That told him all he needed to know.

if Hannibal thought that the two of them had a future, then he had to think the same way. This obviously wasn't just a fling, not for either of them.

"You give me hope, too," he said, reaching across the table to take Hannibal's hand in his own. It was typical of the bold moves that he'd been making lately -- until they had become involved, he would never have reached out for Hannibal. He would have held back, waited for the other man to make the first move.

But this was a whole new him, Will told himself firmly. So far, that boldness had paid off more than he'd ever dreamed it could -- and he was a happier, more confident person.

"I've never really believed that happy endings happened to real people," he said softly, gazing into Hannibal's eyes. "But this time .... I think they just might."

The answering smile and soft laugh from the other man warmed his heart.

***