"Hey. We got there. That's what counts, right? We both deserved staring this on the right foot..." Though there's some part of Keith that thinks they would have found their way to this place regardless, like it's the result of some trajectory they were set on a long time ago, a slow motion collision course that he has no desire to stop or slow.

Shiro is right though. It turned out fine, and the words are out there, out in the open air and they haven't dissolved or shattered. This thing between them has a name now, and Keith is somewhere between relieved and excited, thrilled in a way that he's not entirely sure how to handle. He's managing so far, but it escapes in the relieved smile that keeps lingering on his face.

"Right..." Things to be clear about. This is all new ground for Keith, unexplored and unknown, but he seldom lets that stop him anyway. "The only thing... you're everything to me, Shiro. And that isn't going to change. So I want to do this right. As long as we're honest with each other, I think it'll be all right. I'm... I know I'm not always good at talking about certain things. But I'll try. So don't... don't try to shoulder everything yourself, okay? We're partners, right?" With every possible connotation of those words. But Keith means it. He wants to be able to support Shiro, be there for him, and he's well aware the both of them aren't always up front about the heavier burdens they carry.