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Title: Nepenthe
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Will Graham/Lee Fallon
Fandom: Hannibal/The Big C
Rating: PG-13
Table: Otherwordly Challenge, tv_universe
Prompt: Nepenthe - Something that can make you forget grief or suffering.
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.

***

Lee wrapped his arms around Will, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

He loved cuddling with Will like this, loved feeling the warmth of his sleeping boyfriend's body in his arms, next to his own, loved hearing the soft susurrus of Will's breath.

Being with Will made him feel better, even when he'd had a bad day. Even though he was starting to think that this drug trial was yet another bust, that it wasn't going to work for him in the way that they'd hope, just being with Will like this took some of the pain away.

Maybe it was crazy to think that being in love could literally make him well again, could beat the cancer. But love seemed to be doing a lot fo help him forget his suffering.

No, that wasn't entirely true, he told himself.

He never completely forgot the pain. It was never far away; the suffering was always there, just over the next hill, around the next corner, waiting for him.

But Will made it better. Just seeing his boyfriend's smile, knowing that Will loved him and was there for him, made him feel as though he could take on the world. Seeing that smile raised his spirits, made his soul sing, made his heart leap in his chest.

Okay, so maybe love wasn't going to cure him. But at least it was helping him get through a difficult time in all the ways that counted most.

He wanted a cure, wanted it desperately. But he knew that love alone wasn't going to magically make the cancer disappear. It would take a lot more than that.

Even though love wouldn't cure the disease he carried within him, it went a long way towards making him push away the pain he dealt with every day. It never completely went away, but knowing that he had Will in his life helped him get through that pain.

Somehow, when he thought of Will, the suffering seemed less. And when his boyfriend was in his arms like this, it almost completely disappeared.

Love couldn't cure him, but he was amazed by what it could do.

Love was a nepenthe, helping him to forget his pain and suffering. Love made him feel strong, even when he knew deep inside that he wasn't.

He needed to feel strong, needed the confidence that being in love gave him. It helped him face up to what he was dealing with, helped him to stay strong and not become lost in despair, as he'd come close to doing far too many times before.

He wasn't going to sink into that despair, Lee vowed to himself. He was going to let his love for Will make him strong -- and he would hold on to that strength with everything he had.

This was the fight of his life, and he would rise to the challenge.

***