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Title: The Right Thing To Say
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: 50ficlets
Prompt: 15, Guests
Author's Note: Sequel to "One Small Compromise."
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 looked up at Hannibal with a frown, tapping a pen against his lips. "Hannibal, how many guests are we planning to have at the wedding and the reception?"

This had been something that was gnawing at him. For some reason, he felt inadequate, knowing that he wasn't inviting many people to their wedding.

Did Hannibal see him as being nearly friendless?

Well, if he was honest with himself, he more or less was virtually friendless, Will thought with a soft sigh. He really wasn't close to very many people.

Actually, he wasn't close to anyone at all. He was friends with the people he worked with, of course, but Hannibal was the only person he was really close to.

He couldn't say that anyone other than his fiancé truly knew him. But that was mainly his own fault, wasn't it? He never let anyone get close enough to him to know him, never let anyone see behind the mask that he always kept firmly in place in his dealings with others.

He'd never been good at making friends; he had always held himself aloof from people because he had known what their response would be to his empathy.

But Hannibal was completely different. Hannibal could be friends with anyone; he had the ability to draw people to him, to take an interest in them that made them feel comfortable.

Will knew that he would never be like that.

In some ways, he almost envied his fiancé that ability. He sighed softly, pushing those thoughts away. He wasn't going to dwell on that right now.

Hannibal glanced at him, a slight furrow between his brows. "I don't know, love," he answered, looking thoughtful. "Is the guest list getting a bit unmanageable?"

Will nodded, wishing that he didn't sound so lost and confused. "I'm not really sure that I'm up to having all these people I don't even know at our wedding," he said, wishing that he sounded more apologetic and less resentful. "I kind of wanted this to be small and intimate."

"But, Will, so many people know me," Hannibal protested, his frown deepening. "And I would like to have everyone who I know share in my joy at marrying the man I love."

Will blinked back the sudden onrush of tears that came to his eyes at Hannibal's words. How was it that this man always knew exactly the right thing to say?

"I just ...." His voice trailed off into a sigh as he slumped back into his chair. "I don't want you to feel like you're marrying somebody who doesn't have any friends. Somebody who's .... inadequate in the social field. But, Hannibal, you are. I'm not like you. I can't charm people and make them like me."

"Will." Hannibal got up from his own chair and came to where Will was sitting on the couch, sitting down and taking his fiancé's hands in his own. "You don't need to charm people."

When Will didn't answer, he went on. "I love you, and I want to marry you. That is really what matters, isn't it? If you feel that the guest list is too large, I will trim it down."

Will brightened a little at his words.

"You would do that for me?" he asked softly, not taking his gaze from Hannibal's face. "You would do that, just to make sure that I'm comfortable?"

"Will, of course I would," Hannibal told him, sounding a little reproachful. "It isn't just my wedding, you know. It's our wedding. And I want it to be perfect for you."

"It'll be perfect because I'm marrying the man I love," Will said softly, unable to tear his gaze away from Hannibal's face. He was sure that he had never loved anyone more than he loved Hannibal at this moment. He could feel his emotions surging within him, wanting to break free.

"I should have realised that having so many guests might make you feel uncomfortable, my love," Hannibal told him, squeezing Will's hands gently. "I'll pare the list down a bit."

"Thanks," Will said, his voice very soft. "But not too much. After all, like you said, this is our wedding. I want it to be perfect for you, too."

Hannibal nodded, smiling as he leaned forward to brush a kiss across Will's lips.

"It will be," he murmured. "Because you will be there at the altar beside me, and I will be dedicating the rest of my life to you and to what we share. That, for me, will be perfection incarnate."

Oh yes, this man always knew just how to find the right thing to say, Will thought as they both got to their feet, the kiss they shared deepening, losing themselves in each other's arms.

***