[Saying it out loud-- a weight lifts off his chest. He's never actually said it aloud before, not even to himself, no matter how deeply he felt it, how much he knew it was the truth.]
[He lifts his hands from Keith's shoulders, but only so he can cup his face-- his touch tentative, unsure, as if afraid that Keith will pull away, that even now he'll somehow be mistaken. He's nodding to Keith's unspoken question, wanting to soothe away the shock on his face.]
You-- [can it really be so surprising, he wonders. He thought he was obvious, painfully obvious.] I love you, Keith. So much. How could I not?