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Title: The First Time I Loved Forever
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Will Graham/Lee Fallon
Fandom: Hannibal/The Big C
Rating: PG-13
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.

***

This was it. They were getting married.

Will smiled over at Lee, taking the other man's hand as they walked down the aisle together to the altar and the smiling minister at the front of the chapel.

He could see everyone he'd invited smiling at the two of them; they all looked so happy for him, and for Lee. This wasn't something they'd expected, but they were glad of it.

Will knew that his friends and colleagues had never expected him to get married. They had thought that he wasn't the kind of person who would ever be involved in a serious relationship; they hadn't thought that he was stable enough, that anyone would stay with him.

But they had been wrong. They hadn't counted on him meeting someone who would fill up his heart and soul, someone who would be his other half.

He hadn't counted on it, either. It still amazed him to realize that he was getting married, or that he and Lee had even managed to find each other in this crazy world.

Yet, somehow, they had. And they were making it official.

He turned towards the minister, unable to keep back the smile from his face. This was the happiest day of his life, the day that all of his wishes were coming true.

He was marrying the man he loved, the man who meant everything to him. He was marrying his soul mate, his other half, the person who held his heart in their hand. From this day forward, he would be not just Will Graham, but Will Graham-Fallon.

He had insisted on that; he wanted Lee's name to be a part of his, to show the world that he was married to the man he loved by taking his name.

His smile grew as he listened to the words of the song that they'd chosen.

The first time I loved forever
Was when you whispered my name
And I knew at once you loved me
For the me of who I am

He did truly love Lee for who he was. It didn't matter to him that the man he loved might not have as much time in this world as others would.

All that mattered on this day was that he and Lee were in love, and they wanted to proclaim that love to all of the people here -- and to the entire world.

Had he ever thought that he'd been in love before? Well, he had been wrong. Anything that he might have felt for any other person was eclipsed by the all-consuming love that he felt for Lee. This man was the center of his world; Lee was his universe, his everything.

It was almost a little scary to love someone this deeply, but Will knew that he wouldn't change a thing. This was how he'd always wanted to feel about someone.

He had always known that there was a man out there for him.

Of course, he had never thought that he would actually find that man. He had relegated himself to being alone for the rest of his life, always silently mourning the relationship that he would never have. He thought that he had gotten used to the idea, accepted it.

And then Lee had blazed into his life like a comet, streaking across his consciousness, becoming the fixed point that his entire life revolved around.

The two of them repeated the words of the traditional wedding ceremony after the minister, then Jack stepped forward with a smile to hand each of them a ring.

Will swallowed hard as he turned to face Lee, sure that he was going to burst into tears of happiness in just a few seconds now. This was it. Within moments, they would be married.

This was all that he wanted out of life, all that he had ever wanted. To be married to the man he loved, to share his life with Lee's, to entwine themselves so closely together that nothing would ever tear them apart. And this was the moment that they would take those vows.

He expected his voice to shake so much that the world would barely be audible.

But his voice didn't shake as he spoke the vows, then slid the wedding band onto Lee's finger. It was strong and firm, his joy audible in his tone.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Will repeated after the minister, looking from the wedding band gleaming on Lee's finger up into the eyes of the man he loved.

He could see his own happiness reflected in Lee's eyes. He knew that his feelings were echoed there, that Lee felt the same as he did. His heart was full to overflowing, and he knew that Lee's had to be, as well. They were equally in love, both of them feeling the same things at this moment.

He had never been so happy in his life. He held out his hand for Lee to slip the ring onto his finger, surprised to see that it wasn't trembling at all.

His hand was as firm as his voice, just as strong and sure.

Nothing had ever felt so right to him as what he was doing now, marrying the man he loved with all of his heart and soul, twining their lives together forever.

"I now pronounce you a married couple," the minister said, his voice ringing out in the quiet chapel. "You may kiss your husband," he said, looking at each man in turn with a smile. And as Will leaned forward to kiss Lee, he knew that this kiss would mark the start of their new life together.

He was no longer a single man. He would never have to be alone again. From now on, he would always have Lee in his heart, their souls linked for all of eternity.

He had never known this kind of happiness.

The two of them turned to face the people gathered in the chapel, both of them smiling and holding their clasped hands aloft, their fingers twined together.

Will looked over at Lee, the man who was now his husband, squeezing his hand gently. The happiness in his heart seemed to spill over, encompassing the entire room.

He was married. Not only that, he was married to the man he loved more than anything in the world. This was the first time he had truly loved, the first time he had loved forever. He knew that what he felt would never dim, never fade, never grow old.

His love for Lee would stay as bright and shining as it was in this first moment, this first heady rush of knowing that the two of them were married.

Nothing would ever take away that love. He knew that it would always be there in his heart, a beacon to guide him, his guiding star that would always light his way home.

Lee was his home. Lee was his love, his heart, his very soul.

Whatever adversities life might throw at them, together, they would defeat those things one by one. It might be a struggle, but they would prevail in the end.

They had to. Fate wouldn't be so cruel as to give the two of them this kind of happiness, only to snatch it away from them far too soon.

He had high hopes for the future. Lee would make it through this trial, it would work for him, and even if his cancer wasn't completely eradicated, it would become manageable. Will held on to that belief with everything he was; that wish had to come true.

Then, as the two of them started the walk back down the aisle through the well wishes and cheers of the people who had come to witness their wedding, he pushed that thought from his mind.

There would be no unhappy thoughts, nothing of the kind, to mar his wedding day. This was a day for nothing but joy and happiness, peace and contentment.

This was his day, and Lee's. No dark thoughts would cloud it.

As they walked out into the bright sunlight, Will's smile became even broader. He was a married man now. His life would never be the same.

So much had changed in his life, and it was all for the better. He knew that with Lee beside him, his life would be a happy place from here on out. He had finally found love, a love that he knew would last forever, a love that he felt with every fiber of his being.

This was the first time he had loved, and it was forever. He knew that Lee was the one person who had been meant for him, the missing piece in the puzzle of his life.

But that puzzle piece was missing no longer. It was now firmly in place.

Will looked over at his husband as they raised their hands again, both of them feeling victorious and happy. He knew that Lee's heart, his emotions, were mirroring his own.

He'd never been so incredibly happy in his life. He knew that he would look back on this day as one of the most momentous milestones of his existence, the day he had finally felt complete.

How could he feel otherwise? Today, he had married his soul mate; two people had symbolically become one. Though, if he was honest, he had become Lee's from the first day they had met. He had known even then that what he felt was much more than just a simple attraction.

When Lee's eyes met his, he could see the love there. Will smiled and leaned over slightly, brushing a gentle kiss across his husband's lips. "I love you, Lee."

"And I love you, Will," Lee answered, his own voice soft and husky. "More than I ever thought I could love anyone. You're my world. My whole life. My forever love."

Will could feel his heart swell with love at Lee's words.

He had wanted to hear those words, even though he knew that Lee felt them. Just hearing them made his heart sing and his soul soar to the heavens.

Lee loved him. And he loved Lee. This was the first time that he had loved forever, and it would be the last. The only. Lee would always be his love.

From the moment they had met, until the end of time.

This was the moment of his greatest happiness, and Will was sure that there was much more happiness to come for the two of them.

He moved into his husband's arms, sharing another kiss and holding Lee close against him. Nothing could take away the happiness of this moment. Nothing.

No matter what the future brought, he had his heart's desire.

***