Oh, gosh. I love everything about this. I keep going back and re-reading favorite bits, but they're all favorite bits. The casual little throwaway about the Russian countess, and Horatio weeping by William's bed, and Horatio deciding that if he's gonna confess his love then he's gonna confess his love damnit (no half-measures for that boy, not in anything), and William learning boldness day-by-day, and gosh, so many things.

And fyi, I'd hate to think that the Tegmore 'verse in any way staked a claim on a happy retirement for them; I wrote that verse because I was writing what I wanted to see in the world. And look, here it is, more! :-)

And as for being out-of-character... pfft. In canon, William never lived past Caudebec, and thus canon has nothing to say on how Caudebec might have changed them both, had he lived. Perhaps they would have become more outspoken about feelings, who's to say? The only question is whether you can get me to believe it, and yes, you did, I am totally here for this.

(And yay, the monthly prompts are helping you to finish things! We couldn't hope for better.)