[If this conversation could go without incident, they wouldn't be Keith and Lance. Talking it out would be strange if there wasn't a point where one boy accidentally hurt the other. Keith knows that Lance doesn't mean to hurt him with those words, but they do anyway. His lips twist downward in a Keith-like grimace, and he looks away.]

I was there with you, [he says, agitation filling his voice. It's not as defensive as a lot of things in the past with him. Keith isn't angry, just hurt. The desire to brush this off grows, but he stands his ground. Maybe if he views it as a challenge, he'll be able to face it head on.]

Just because I didn't know what to do or how to handle it doesn't mean I wasn't there with you. [It hurts him to think that Lance might believe that Keith's lack of readiness could even be equated to not wanting this. He wanted it, but articulating that is the hard part.]

That's different from what I said, anyway. [A year ago, he hadn't even had friends. But it's typical Keith to not point that out. Being with someone, being intimate with them, is a huge step up. That's why he had wanted it to be easier.]