It does take him a while to find all the words, but he knows Neil's going to let him.

So Theon says, after a moment of thought, "I kissed him, and we both, ah, panicked. We've got a lot that's the same, the shit we've been through. It took a minute or two, to explain that I meant it, to--" He's smiling again, smaller. "I'm sure we sound like fuckin' idiots, but even if we didn't kiss again, could still be close. It wasn't a no. It might not sound like much, but it is."