regshoe

and the incredible sweetness of Ewan's gratitude and affection once he fully grasps who Keith is and what he has done for him, and the fact that Keith just can't quite accept it, partly because he feels the stain on his honor from the things he implied to Guthrie, but also just... he's not used to people being fond of him, or letting himself be fond of other people.

Yes! Totally agree, Keith's awkwardness around accepting Ewen's gratitude and affection is just very satisfyingly written. Oh, Keith. ♥

ETA: And also another reason for Keith's awkwardness is that he's aware of just how much worse his own side has treated the Jacobites, compared to how the Jacobites treated their defeated enemies at Prestonpans! This injury called for a surgeon, and he had nearly said so; but, reddening, checked himself, recalling the deliberate denial of care to the Jacobite wounded at Inverness, and the actual removal of their instruments from the few of their own surgeons imprisoned with them.