The very mention of that singular name so seemed to utterly destroy any joy that had once existed within the usually optimistic Englishman. Surely, he knew admitting that while he certainly had feelings for the Duke in front of him, he refused to act upon them if only for the undeniable love he'd somehow found within the Italian King that now so often graced his bed. How could he even begin to explain that to William in a way that would have made it better? And yet, even though he would have attempted, the mention of those simple syllables so sent the vampire into a spiraling sense of dejection that any thoughts of an explanation were entirely forgotten. Georgiana. She had been the singular creature to so shatter that relationship he had held with his best friend, the pair had become so estranged that Sebastian had thought it beyond repair - though naught for a lack of trying. And dear god how he had tried. He'd brought William any number of presents from books to horses to women. He had made every effort to show him of his still lingering affections in whatever way he thought socially acceptable and yet, each of his attempts had been brushed off as if he was but naught a member of the lower class to so be pat on the head and sent on his way. Those months had been absolute hell.

Every effort he'd made to see William he'd found himself rejected when when he knew the man was alone, pushed off to accompany Georgiana on some meaningless social gathering, or, worse still, to have William too busy with John to be bothered with him. There was no denying it wore on him, there was no denying the hours he'd spent awake filled with regret or the efforts he'd made with his own father to get out of the marriage after that and yet - the job was done, their union was sealed and Sebastian was left miserably accepting his fate in some way or another. At least, until John had invited him to his bachelor party in a rare glimpse of joyous pity. And look where all that effort had brought them. He had been the cause of their traumatic murder just as he too was still the cause of that wedge that so existed between the pair after nearly two centuries. Even now, he was tossed back into that darkness of William's wrath after but a glimpse of that once beautiful relationship he had so shared with the man and how it stung.

He was aware, briefly, of William's fingertips upon his arm, and yet, it was too late now, that simple touch hardly serving to reassure him in any fashion. The vampire shook his head ever so slightly, that explanation he had tried to offer for months finally tumbling from his lips. How it hurt to so finally admit all that guilt he'd been carrying for so long, that old pain, that hurt, that isolation flaring within the man as his gaze remained wholly pointed away from his friend. A small shrug crossed his shoulders as William uttered simply that he had been entirely oblivious of Sebastian's intents. It was a simple fact he knew and yet, he was certainly it hardly would have mattered even if the Duke had known all those years ago. He knew he'd crossed a boundary to give into that affection William's sister had held for him. William had made a point to ensure he knew it. It was that awareness that made Sebastian entirely surprised to find the younger man's arms so wrapping around him in an embrace.

His body, however, remained entirely still, the vampire choosing to simply not breathe if only for the simple fact that all such a thing would give away. His gaze remained entirely trained away from the man that so strove to hold him, and yet, Sebastian remained entirely silent as he listened to William's own experience within those terrible months. He had known, to a degree, how much Georgiana had so spoke of him, the girl having mentioned on numerous occasions of how her family thought this was utterly wonderful and how excited she was of their impending marriage and yet, Sebastian had, at the time, regarded it with little more than the same polite nod and warm smile he was supposed to give her. Still, he hadn't understood to the extent at which William had so been upset, the vampire had, at the time, thought it entirely had to do with the simple fact that his betrothed was the Duke's sister then anything else. And while, yes, it was at the heart of the matter, there was far more to it then Sebastian had understood.

Still, what was there to say now? None of it changed anything. Sebastian had still broke the man's heart - twice. The notion that he deserved happiness was certainly laughable indeed, those very words brought a soft puff of air through his nose, snorting at the ridiculousness of the idea. He deserved many of things though whether or not happiness was one of them, Sebastian wasn't sure. His head turned slightly, glancing back at the Duke as the man buried his head within his shoulder and yet, he remained wholly silent. Those broken lyrics told him well of the tears that spilled from his cheeks, even if the stain of wetness that seeped through his clothing didn't. Gingerly, his hand reached up to entangle within William's locks, the touch entirely gentle - enough to remind the man he was indeed here. Still, at the end of it all, Sebastian heard the exact same sentiment he himself had lived by for so many years - the simple concept of making do. He nodded ever so slightly, his own words but a soft whisper on the wind, "As have I." It was a simple sentence and yet the truth resonated within those three words. The question, however, remained - where did they go from here?