"How very optimistic of you considering every time I think I'm done with emotional crises I'm surprised by another one." Which is frankly annoying. It's not like he does this on purpose.

Partner.

He likes the sound of that. They've both already used it and acknowledged it in a different sense but he supposes adding this is really just the natural progression, even if he didn't expect it at the time.

He drags himself up after Istredd as much as it genuinely pains him. "I'll defend you if Thorne still has mushrooms in their meals," he jokes.

Well.

It's mostly a joke.