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Title: Quicksand
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Sequel to "Optimistic Outlook."
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.

***

Will leaned against the frame of the kitchen door, watching Hannibal make breakfast.

He had to admire the other man's economy of movement, the grace with which he made everything he was doing look so easy. Will envied that quiet grace.

He himself always felt as though he was all thumbs in the kitchen. He knew how to cook, but he didn't enjoy it in the way that Hannibal did.

Which was why he always ate out of cans that he could nuke in the microwave, or takeout, whenever he was at home, he thought with a wry smile. One thing was for sure -- when he was staying with Hannibal, he ate well. It was one of the big bonuses to being involved with this man.

Hannibal was a prince in every way, he told himself. This man was everything he'd ever wanted, and he hoped that this relationship was going to turn into something very solid.

But at the moment, he wasn't sure of where he stood with Hannibal. Was he just a fling, or was he someone that the other man wanted to keep in his life?

He wanted to stay in Hannibal's life, as much more than just a friend.

Now that their relationship had changed from mere friendship to something much more intimate, he wasn't sure of which way to turn. The ground seemed to be heaving under him.

He'd have to talk to Hannibal about what his intentions were, and the best thing to do was to take the proverbial bull by the horns and get that conversation over with.

Will took a deep breath, stepping into the kitchen just as Hannibal turned from the stove with a pan in his hand. The other man smiled, indicating with a gesture of his head for Will to sit down at the table. "I was just making us some eggs and pancakes for breakfast. Please sit down, Will."

Will did as Hannibal told him, reaching for the pot of coffee that was on the table and pouring himself a cup. "Thanks for making breakfast. You know I"m not that good in the kitchen."

"Ah, that is something that you can learn to do," Hannibal told him, sliding a stack of pancakes onto Will's plate. "It is an art, Will. One that every person should cultivate."

"But with you around, do I really need to?" Will almost held his breath after he'd asked the question; that was a perfect opening for Hannibal to say something about their future. There was a good possibility that in just a few moments, he would know just where they were heading.

Will felt as though the quicksand he'd felt that he was sinking in was rising rapidly; he needed Hannibal's words to be positive, to pull him out of the mire that he was falling into.

Hannibal raised an inquisitive brow, then smiled as he sat down and helped himself to pancakes and scrambled eggs. "I suppose that's true. Though I'd enjoy giving you cooking lessons."

Will could feel his heart leap, as though it was jumping for joy.

"So you intend for this ...." He waved his hand around at the kitchen, indicating everything around them. "You mean for this morning to be something that's repeated a lot?"

Again, he found himself holding his breath as he waited for the answer. This was it. Hannibal's next words would tell him all that he needed to know.

Hannibal gave him a droll look, a smile curving the corners of his lips upwards. "Will, as I seriously doubt that I could stomach your cooking, at least until I teach you some of the more esoteric elements of making your way around the kitchen, it appears that I will be doing our cooking for the foreseeable future."

The quicksand receded, and Will let his breath out in a rush. So Hannibal did intend for their relationship to be something that lasted. He wasn't just a quick fling.

Suddenly, he felt hungry, even ravenous. He reached for the maple syrup, pouring a generous amount of it onto his pancakes before taking a bite.

The world had just been transformed into a bright and beautiful place.

"You'll definitely be doing our cooking," he said after he'd chewed and swallowed. "These are a lot better than I could ever dream of making!"

The quicksand had released its hold on him, and he'd climbed out of it safely. Now that he was standing on solid ground, he intended to stay there for a very, very long time.

***