Re: romanceposting. Hiram only had casual flings in his youth, he liked the playfulness of flirts and the aesthetic ideal of romance, but he never felt the need for a strong romantic connection with anyone until way into his late twenties/early thirties. He adhered to the dandyish lifestyle and he always considered himself (as people considered him) a confirmed bachelor, to the immense disappointment of his family.
After the Fall, he was on very close terms with Morgan Dargor, but things progressed slowly on the romance side, and Morgan disappeared before anything could come of it. The first person he felt strongly romantically attracted to was the Deviless, and even with her a long time passed before his love was evident. He confessed to her, but a good portion of his interest was tinged by obsession, and his fascination was fueled by her manipulations.
It's not that he can't truly love now, it just takes a lot for him to realise what exactly he's feeling when confronted with intense emotions, and things have to be A Lot to allow him to feel the intensity. He still enjoys the playfulness of casual affairs, he's often flirty, and his overly courteous manners sometimes get misinterpreted as real interest, but he's more attracted by engaging connections than true romance.
It took a lot for him to understand he still loved the Deviless, and even more to get back on friendly terms with the Captain after they returned to London. Even after they regained trust in each other, realising there was something more between them, they both took their own time to express their love and care for each other.
